"I fell over"

[Phoebefoibles]

Not really sure about this and wanted some outside opinions.

My friend told me she was out for a few drinks, went to the loo, was wearing sky-high heels and bit tipsy (5 margueritas worth of tipsy, plus drinks before leaving house)...missed a step and went sprawling. Resulting in a cut, plus swollen lump on her forehead, black eyes, a split lip, hurt knee and whiplash.

I was amazed that a trip down a step, could do so much damage, and she said it does look bad...so embarrassing etc. But the reason it might be worse than otherwise, was that about a month or so ago, she "walked into a cupboard" - her exact words - so this fall may have opened an 'old wound'.

Does this sound a bit odd to anyone else or is it just me?

Sounds odd to me!

So she's either a alcoholic or in a violent relationship...

Hard to tell which, really.

an

A one off, maybe. 2 is looking dodgy. I'd keep an eye out. 3 within a few months would be a red flag...

It all depends on what her relationship is like and what you think of the person she's with I guess.

I've fallen over drunk a few times and cut /grazed my knees but never hit my face and I've been pretty pissed!

Reformed character now I'm a mum though

I feel over when drunk once on cobbles and looked like I'd gone twelve rounds with frank Bruno.

Just saying...

If she had fallen down the stairs in sky high heels the damage would be to her ankles, knees, shins and palms / forearms.

I just cannot see a scenario where a forward fall would result in that much damage to the face.

I was drunk and it bypassed the natural put your hands out to sae yourself instinct you see.

Or at least to the face alone. I see she has a 'hurt knee'

It's a reflex action to put your arms out when you fall.

My friend fell over on Saturday night after we'd been on the lash. Neither of us had drunk alcohol for months. We are both in our forties. Oops!

She was barefoot, walking from the loo to the bedroom and it all went a bit Pete Tong.

She broke her nose and grazed her top lip and knee, the poor love.

If your mate likes a drink and wearing heels, she probably is telling the truth.

I've only managed to give myself a black eye through falling down a step when I had an umbrella in one hand and put my hand out to the door with the other and it just opened further. So my hands were grabbing at things which gave way, meaning I landed on my face. I fell down a foot high step onto terracotta tiles on concrete. I had a black eye. Not multiple injuries.

You don't get whiplash from falling over pissed

not sure... i know if you're drunk your reactions are slowed and you can completely miss putting your hands out like you would if sober.

but two accidents in a short time is unusual.

do you know who she was with that night? do they corroborate the story?

Do you know her boyfriend?

you can get whiplash falling off a kerb.. i know somebody who damaged their neck that way.

but yes, it is very unusual..

You actually can get whiplash from falling over.

What I'm saying is, her story could be true. Yes she most certainly could have got those injuries from falling off a step drunk.

It's also possible to get them in other ways, and without knowing anything else about the situation, it's impossible for us to say. You are her friend - why does it sound odd? Are the other things you know or have seen that make you wonder?

Sounds ok to me. Is there anything else that makes you think she might be lying?

i've also had a friend who received eyebrow raising injuries from falling off a curb in a street. Totally legit.

I agree with the poster saying watch out for it happening again. That would be the red flag for me, not a one off.

I broke my ankle sober and in my own garden. The one off incident is not worrying but repettitive odd stories are

I know an older lady who got whiplash falling down stairs, whilst tipsy...at a wedding...
you can really hurt yourself doing that, and if drunk, wouldn't react fast holding your hands out..

I literally did walk into a cupboard last week and it fecking hurt, still have a forehead lump

I fell over not drunk and hit head, arm and leg, looked a right mess.
3 weeks later slipped getting out of the bath, had a black eye and split lip.
It does happen. Did cause some stress though as I was was a few weeks into a new relationship so tongues wagged.

There was a man on 24 Hours in A&E program he literally fell over (drunk) and hit a wall so didn't even make it to the floor. He had a black eye, facial injuries and was unconscious at the scene.

It can happen. Personally I am incredibly clumsy to the extent I have asked DH if he wants me to write a disclaimer to say should I die in weird circumstances that any bruising on my body previous to my death is my own stupid clumsy behaviour (or ds2 swimming as he kicks me repeatedly whilst trying to stay afloat)

I think you are right to be concerned but don't jump to conclusions, if she is injured again then I would ask her outright if everything is ok.

Went out drinking (years ago) wearing heels and carrying a clutch bag. Tripped over some gravel staggering home, clutched clutch bag instead of putting hand out, dermabraded entire left hand side of face. Possibly the worst thing was, not a soul asked how I did it, they all presumed I'd fallen over drunk.

Am less of a lush now.

Who was she out drinking with? Can she/he/they corroborate?

As an ex A&E nurse I would say the injuries were entirely consistant with falling down stairs in an intoxicated state! Especially if the stairs were concrete rather than carpeted. Carpeted stairs are nowhere near so lethal so I would be a bit suspicious there. Saw many similar injuries in my time and knees and black eyes were common features. Also a lump on the head doesnt usually result from a fist, more like broken noses or cheekbones.

tbh. To cause that much injury to a woman by beating her up, the beating would have to have been really severe and I can't see any woman laughing that off. They would have headed to the nearest refuge.

I could be wrong though, as it takes all sorts. Could you just ask her outright?

To cause that much injury to a woman by beating her up, the beating would have to have been really severe and I can't see any woman laughing that off. They would have headed to the nearest refuge.

I agree with the rest of your post but that statement is sadly not true in all cases.